The life and times of a gardener, a cook, and the journey in between...

Monday, November 2, 2009

Dijon Chicken and Vegetables

England gets a bad rap when it comes to cooking. Ask anyone who has traveled there about the cuisine and you'll hear words like bland, greasy, and boring. Mayonnaise comes on everything whether you request it or not. There is one type of bottled salad dressing and it is simply titled, "salad cream". And, one does have to wonder, why no one was creative enough to name their favorite condiment anything other than, "brown sauce"? Interestingly enough, when we make our yearly trip to the U.K., I find myself looking forward to the food. Spend a little more time there and I think you'll agree that they actually have great food. I love going to the grocery store there because everything is so fresh. The dairy products and the breads are a hundred times better than what we have here. They've got excellent prepared grab and go sandwiches and salads. Add in some fish and chips, pub food, and Indian cuisine, and you could spend a whole month eating your way through the country. So, when I think English food, I think, yes please!

This recipe comes from a very famous English chef, Nigel Slater. We have at least four of his cookbooks in storage in England, which doesn't help us much, except that he tends to create very simple but delicious meals, so they aren't too difficult to remember. Andrew and I have been making this recipe since we met and I'm sure it will forever be a favorite of ours. We haven't seen the recipe in ages, so we have to make it up every time and guess the proportions. I could swear you add parsley, but Andrew insists there is no such green herb in this recipe. I usually add it for a little more visual interest. You wouldn't want anyone calling it boring!

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in an oven proof dish. Mix the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and parsley with a wire whisk. Pour over the chicken. Put in the oven and bake until cooked through 15-20 minutes. Turn the broiler on and brown the chicken under it (2-5 minutes, depending on how hot your broiler gets). Serve with baby potatoes and your favorite vegetable. Pour remaining sauce over potatoes and vegetables.

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My husband and I started planting vegetables over a year ago and have since fallen in love with gardening and cooking. This is my collection of recipes, real life, and memories straight from our Santa Barbara garden. Enjoy!